Grilling Baby Back Ribs and Grilled Baby Back Rib Recipes

Grilled baby back ribs are one of the most popular items for the grill or BBQ. At the bottom of the page we will give you some great grilled baby back rib recipes. But first I will give you some ideas on how to select and buy the right ribs.

Selecting and buying the best baby back ribs

Baby back ribs come from the loin area, so that is why when you buy pork loin chops, there is that great bone on the chop. This is also how butchers make crown roast of pork too. To get the baby backs, they simply cut the ribs off the loin. Sometimes retail butchers will cut them very tight up against the bone which makes the ribs a bit less meaty. So try to select some nice meaty ribs. Perhaps as important is looking at the back side of the ribs. One many ribs, especially the less expensive ones there will be a white membrane or skin the back side. If you want tender ribs, this should be removed.

To do this you will need the following:

A towel or cloth

A boning knife or a sharp pointed instrument, like the tip of a meat thermometer or fork.

Work the tip of the knife or other instrument under the membrane and wiggle a corner of the membrane free. Using the cloth, grab the skin and steadily pull if off down the rack of ribs. Your ribs will be much better without this, and you will save on most of the toothpicks!

Double Mustard and Molasses Baby Back Ribs

When we think of grilling baby back ribs we tend to go to our old standby favorite recipes...But sometimes we know it is time to go "out of the box" before we burn out on that old "favorite". The funny thing is, when we served this new recipe to our family... everyone chirped in about it being the "new favorite"! Guess we have really been ready for grilling baby back ribs with different flavors... or this one is truly great.

This baby back rib recipe uses a fairly low indirect heat and a bit of time spent moping the ribs, but you will be glad that you spent the time these.

I was reading “Bobby Flay Cooks American” and his recipe for Grilling Baby Back Ribs with Mustard and Molasses BBQ Sauce. A great recipe where you build up a glaze on the ribs. For the record, I am a fan of Bobby Flay and his books; you cannot go wrong with his books. So, I went to the pantry to see if I had everything, which I did not. So, it’s “improv” time!

The following is the resulting recipe and Rainee and the kids loved them.

Serves 4 to 6

Double Mustard & Molasses BBQ Sauce/Glaze

1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

½ Cup Brown Sugar

2 Cups Dark Molasses

1 Tablespoon Ancho Chile Powder

½ Cup Course Dijon Mustard with seeds or French Meaux Mustard

½ Cup Mendocino Mustard or other Hot Sweet Mustard such as Beaver.

Combine vinegar and sugar in a non reactive sauté pan. Bring to simmer until the sugar is melted. Add all other ingredients. Adjust salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature.

Wet Mop for cooking the ribs.

3 Cup Water

2 Cups Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon Course Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Garlic Chopped very fine

Bring to a boil then cool

Four Slabs Baby Back Ribs

This recipe can be done as a weber charcoal grill recipe or gas grill recipe. On a gas Grill use the top rack or on a weber or charcoal grill spread the coals to use indirect heat. The temperature should be between 295 and 350 degrees.

Place the ribs on the grill and baste them with the wet mop. Then baste every 10 minute or so. As the ribs cook they will take on a nice brown color. When the ribs are done, baste them with the Double Mustard & Molasses Sauce watch over them since the amount of sugars may lend to burning easily. If they are not getting the right color then you can mark them off a bit on the hotter side of the grill, but keep an eye on them, this glaze will burn if not watched. When they are nicely glazed on both sides, they are done. Cut them up and bring ‘em to the table.